Withering away of the state

The phrase stems from Friedrich Engels,[1] who wrote in part 3, chapter 2 of Anti-Dühring (1878): The interference of the state power in social relations becomes superfluous in one sphere after another, and then ceases of itself.

[6][7] Although Engels first introduced the terminology of "the withering away of the state", he attributed the underlying concept to Marx, and other Marxist theorists—including Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924)—would later expand on it.

Engels posits that—similar to the arguments made by Henri de Saint-Simon before him—in a socialist society public organization would become primarily concerned with technical issues such as the optimal allocation of resources and determination of production as opposed to drafting and enforcing laws and thus the traditional state functions would gradually become irrelevant and unnecessary for the functioning of society.

This scenario depended on Marx's view of coercive power as a tool of those who own the means of production, i.e. certain social classes (the bourgeoisie) and the capitalist state.

He believed that at least in the short term the state had to have enough power to strike back against those elements seeking to derail the ultimate victory of communism.